


Acta Diurna

by Imperial_Dragon



Series: Imperial Earth [6]
Category: 2770 ab urbe condita - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Rome, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Child Slaves, M/M, Newspapers, Sexual Slavery, Slavery, Togas, dormouse - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:27:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23407528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imperial_Dragon/pseuds/Imperial_Dragon
Summary: Valentine checks the news, and takes a moment to connect with his children.
Series: Imperial Earth [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1136804
Comments: 18
Kudos: 25
Collections: 2770 ab urbe condita - the collected fiction





	Acta Diurna

**Author's Note:**

> I've _finally_ finished this installment! Warning: children appear in this part, and I hope that I managed to write them in a sympathetic way. This is not kid!fic .

The next morning there was no easing into the day. Gaius was in and out of the bathroom with military speed, Valentine right behind him, ientaculum on the table ready to be shovelled in, and the morning’s news on their tabulae.

As was only right, the featured _Acta Diurna_ headline was the trial. Valentine gave the article and associated columns a cursory glance. The leaked list of misdemeanours looked even more impressive on a news site than in a plain list (and they hadn’t known that Julianus had set a house on fire last Saturnalia. Score one for investigative journalism!). There was a welcome article on the nature of the imperium of Augustus and his absolute right to use it in the defence of the Serene Empire. It was a stretch to call the prosecution of these kids a defence of the Empire, but at least it showed that this display of power was having an impact.

A message from Clodia popped up. According to the best web analytics, the Imperial trial item rated well in senatorial and equestrian households but dropped off lower down the social scale, although the more sensationalist speculations on the sexual use of the new slaves rated well. Interest was predicted to pick up during and after the trial, especially if some good photos or videos of the new slaves were released.

Val made a note to arrange this.

There was no interest in the actual subject of Gaius’s speech to the Senate: extending the client programme.

Other than the trial it was a slow news day which left plenty of room for more minor stories, like a follow up on the dormouse disaster earlier in the year. The slaves of a large dormouse breeding and rearing company had released all the dormice from their gliaria and the owners had viciously beaten the culprits. One of the slaves escaped, and found a sympathetic freeman to call SIPAS and the Vigiles, who arrived at the farm to discover chaos: slaves beaten, injured, dead, and dormice everywhere. The article was headed by the award-winning photo taken at the time: a little girl, bruised and wide-eyed, holding a dormouse to her face. So incredibly cute; this picture was the reason that the case had become celebrated.

So here was the report: no insurance would be paid. A spokesperson for the insurance company pointed out that SIPAS had guidelines against using children, especially prepubescent girls, in this industry.

“Because they get sentimental and are known to release the dormice,” said the SIPAS Italia spokesperson. “We recommend that all dormouse breeders use adult slaves to care for their stock, preferably adults who enjoy eating dormice. While children are cheaper, and their small hands well suited to working with rodents like dormice, older slaves are a much better prospect in this industry.”

It wasn’t the only problem with this company. There were many children under six with no mother, and, together with the dead slave children, it meant the directors were headed for a long servile stint themselves, if not worse.

There was a brief article on the impact of the released dormice on the ecology of the area, and a link to the investigation of the corrupt SIPAS staff who allegedly allowed the abuse to continue.

“Aunt Gaia says ‘OK’,” Gaius said.

Valentine looked up. Gaius was eating that ghastly northern oat puls while reading his messages. 

“That’s all?” Valentine asked.

“Yes.” Gaius shovelled in another mouthful, but still looked glum.

“What else can she say?” Valentine shrugged. He preferred a proper Roman breakfast of stuffed bread and fruit, although the archimagirus had made some concerning comments about the health benefits of oats recently.

Gaius just grunted in reply. Valentine returned to the news. As he expected, in the slave section there was an article about the new SIPAS corruption charges arising from Arruns’s case, along with a column by political correspondent Quintus Sosius Justus, an Ave! serve writer, speculating on the problems in SIPAS, with two serious corruption investigations now underway. That wasn’t good, of course, but, as corruption in the Serene Empire usually went, it wasn’t too bad; although, from reading Justus’s article, anyone would think that SIPAS was as corrupt as the banks in Belgica.

Valentine sent a note to Clodia that she might need to counter this with some good news SIPAS stories. It was true that an investigation into SIPAS practices was needed, but it would not be right to frighten slaves away from the genuine benefits of the society.

“The international reaction is mixed,” Gaius said. “Tiancho is praising my moral rectitude, but I’m not sure that’s a good thing, given what they think moral rectitude involves. Norðerland -”

But Damian ducked into the room.

“Master, Severus is having a panic attack,” he said, sounding apologetic but not managing to supress a smirk. “About your toga, and how he needs lots of time to arrange it, because it’s a toga praetexta, and his reputation is on the line -”

“OK, we’re coming,’ Gaius said, standing up. “I know - the toga praetexta is the hardest toga to arrange stylishly, and the only important thing today is that I properly show off Serverus’s skills.”

Val trailed Gaius to the dressing room. He’d have a few minutes to call his children while Severus fussed over the toga. The kids would be still having breakfast. It was the best time to catch them before they went to school or nursery, and he could have a word with Helena and Narses about Saturnalia.

Since Gaius was wearing a senatorial toga, Val only had to pull on a simple wool tunic and bracae and brush his hair. Then he could sit in peace with his tablua and call his family.

The call was answered immediately.

“Papa Val! Papa Val!” Daphne sat in her seat like a respectable slave girl and just thrashed her hands, but Ese tried climbing onto the table while shrieking. 

Narses’s hand appeared from out of camera view and pulled Ese down into her seat by her tunic. “Girls! Use your company manners! Or am I raising wild animals for the Flavian?”

“Sorry, Papa.” Daphne took Ese’s hand and sat up to look straight at the tabula, putting on her most grown up expression. “Ave, Papa Val.”

Ese echoed her. 

“Ave, puellulae,” Val said, smiling. “What’s happened this week?

“I’ve got a wobbly tooth, Papa,” Daphne said, and, opening her mouth wide, rocked her bottom incisor back and forth. She screwed up her nose and leaned closer (while keeping her bottom on the seat) to whisper, “It hurts a little bit.”

“I expect it does hurt,” Val said softly. He had only just been to the party celebrating her registration as a slave, and now she was losing teeth. His little girl was growing up! “But you are such a brave girl that I know you will only cry if you need too.”

“Ye-es,” Daphne said doubtfully. She looked to where Narses sat, out of sight of the camera.

“She’s been very brave,” Narses said firmly.

“When the tooth comes out, send it to me and I’ll dedicate it in the house shrine,” Val said.

“So Master’s genius will protect me too!” Daphne grinned.

“That’s right.” Even if the protection was an illusion, it was one Val still wanted to maintain for as long as he needed.

Ese twitched and gripped the table in an effort to sit still, and Val thought it prudent to move on to her concerns. It was best to keep the periods of stricter slave manners short and build on success, rather than resort to punishment. All the reputable slave raising manuals agreed on that.

“And how has my little Ese been?” Val asked.

His youngest daughter pouted. “I was going to start school last week but Papa said we might move house, so I didn’t, and we _are_ moving so I’ll have to go to a new school without my friends, and it will be _dangerous_. There’s pikroelastic things.”

“Oh dear. Perhaps Papa Narses or Mama will tell me all about the dangers and we can all make sure you are safe.” It was unusual for Narses and Helena not to let him know what was happening with the children, but he knew better than assume that they would take the kids into actual danger. “Where is Mama?”

“She was sick,” Ese said with satisfaction. “All over the floor.”

“She was sick yesterday too,” Daphne added. “So she’s in bed. But Papa says she is not ill.”

“That’s right,” Narses said, still off camera. “I’ll tell Papa Val about it all later. Meantime, I think we can start family time now since you have sat still like good slaves. But no climbing on the table!”

Both children leaned forward, abandoning their proper posture.

“Will we see you at Saturnalia?” Ese asked eagerly.

“After Saturnalia,” Val said. The festival itself was too busy for the Imperial household to enjoy a holiday, so it was the custom to have a week off in winter following the official celebrations. “We haven’t decided where yet, but you can come visit then.”

“And Master Gaius – will he be there? Because I hoped that I’d learned how to kneel properly at school, and now I won’t be able to show him.” Poor Ese was definitely pouting. Val could appreciate her feelings; it was so important to show off how able and grown up you were, especially to your ultimate master.

“I didn’t know that was such a worry for you, darling,” Narses said. He leaned over to Ese and Val could see his tight, thin black braids swing in front of his daughter’s face as Narses gave her a kiss. “I’ll make sure you can show your respect to our master.”

“I’ll help.” Big sister Daphne looked very pleased; Val was fairly sure she was looking forward to bossing Ese around. But there were more important issues. “Will we get presents? Because I’d like a pony!”

“I’d rather have a doggie,” Ese said. “Or a really big television, ’cos Papa said we are going to a really big house. Or a bicycle. Or-”

“Ah, well,” Val said, already dazed at Ese’s materialistic ambitions. “Write a letter to Saturn and tell him what you want and _maybe_ you’ll get some of it. If you are good girls, mind.”

He glanced over at Gaius. Severus was redoing the folds on Gaius’s left arm, but time was running short. “Now, I need to talk to Papa, but I’ll talk to you next week, and the holiday is not long away.”

“vale, Papa! We’ll write a letter to tell you – I mean, we’ll write to Saturn to tell him what we want.” The girls waved and blew kisses and they scrambled down.

“Brush your teeth,” Narses called after them. “And pack your bags. Ese, you get one snack for nursery. That’s one snack! I’ll be checking!”

Narses took the children’s place. He looked good. His long braids gave him a dignified, pharaonic look especially with the simple, white slave tunic he wore.

“Congratulations,” Val said, grinning. “I take it that Helena is expecting.”

Narses nodded. “Yes. We weren’t going to say anything to anyone for another month but yesterday Helena started throwing up and I thought I’d better tell you. But I had to take care of her and the kids first, and that got away on me.”

“Of course. It’s great news.” Narses and Helena had been trying for a child for some time – with Valentine, Helena had fallen pregnant almost immediately, and it was such a shame that it had taken them so long. “You’ll be a great father since you’ve practised on my brats. I hope Helena is all right.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Narses hesitated. “We are moving too – I told you I was applying for other positions, and I found out yesterday – I’ve been appointed vilicus maior of some estates in Campania near Pompeii. Ese heard, and told people at nursery, and someone had to tell Ese about Vesuvius. She’s convinced herself that we are going to be incinerated in a pyroclastic surge, hence the whole concern about danger.”

“But you live near Aetna, which also has pyroclastic surges.” Unpredictable Aetna scared Valentine more than Vesuvius. “Although I suppose the 674 eruption is the most famous eruption in history.”

“Exactly. I’ll be pleased to get away from Aetna, but we will be living near Pompeii, in the ruber cingulus, so we’ll have evacuation drills. Helena and I will have to work on the girls, get them to understand that they need to be ready but not afraid.”

“Yeah –

“Val, we need to get going.” Gaius did look good in his elegantly arranged toga, the thin purple stripe rippling in regimented folds. A gold laurel garland glinted on his brow with just the right amount of ostentation.

“vale-“ But Narses’s farewell cut off as Val blanked the connection.

“Wonderful work, Severus,” The man was an artist and Valentine thought he deserved more acknowledgement. “Are we walking, domine?”

“Yes.” Gaius left the room at a brisk pace. “I need be seen in public with Marcus, as one happy family.”

Gaia and Lucilla would travel separately. The trial would be a huge problem for ImpSec – Gaius Augustus, Lucilla Caesar, Marcus and Gaia in one place, with only Quintus Caesar and his son out of Rome, and out of range of a single attack. Aulia was too young to take on the purple – but this was not his problem, Val reminded himself. _Gaius’s_ safety was his only responsibility.

Marcus and his principal personal slave Nero waited outside Gaius’s private rooms. Marcus’s shoulders drooped, but at the sight of Gaius he stood erect, although his eyes remained tired and sad.

“Patruus,” Gaius said, and held out his right arm. They clasped arms in good military style, but Val could see the indentations on Gaius’s arm where Marcus dug his fingers into Gaius’s flesh. “I’m sorry –“

“I know.” Marcus unclenched his hand. “Fidelia and I don’t blame you. Sure, we’re upset at Poppaea being enslaved, but she wouldn’t listen to us. The Vestals will make her listen, and, however hard it is, I know it will be good for her. But Gaia –“

The two Vitruvii walked down the corridor, leaning in and talking quietly to each other. Val and Nero followed, far enough behind that they would not overhear the conversation. They didn’t need to: selling Julianus to Dr. Varius Metellus was only acceptable for the political benefits. Gaius was going to convince Marcus of that and eventually he would have to convince Gaia too.

“How is Marcus taking this really?” Val asked.

“Becoming more reconciled all the time,” Nero said cheerfully. “Poppaea’s antics are tiring, and I think Master will be relieved to concentrate on Lucilla’s career for a while. I’m certainly happy not to have to rescue Poppaea from yet another disgrace.”

Val admired Nero as one of the most accomplished Imperial personal slaves. He understood Marcus better than anyone, perhaps even better than Marcus understood himself, and if Nero reported on Marcus’s slow acceptance of Poppaea’s fate, he could be believed.

“And Fidelia?”

“Much the same. Poppaea has worn out even her patience, and, of course, Fidelia has a close connection to the Vestals so she can keep an eye on her. They are both more concerned about Gaia.”

Which was totally understandable, considering who would buy Julianus.

Val’s tabula buzzed against his hip, indicating an urgent update from one of the accounts permitted that level of access. He pulled out the tabula, to see a message from Clodia.

-oeb. Check out this story-

It was in the society gossip column, heading the divorce stories.

> ### tumultus in thermis
> 
> Bathers in the Balnea Rogātūs on Mons Pincius were treated to outrageous scenes last night when D. Terentia Paulla (musm) burst in to divorce Agr. Menenius Lanatus, her husband of thirty years. Meneius, a prominent olive merchant, was reported to be shocked by this response to his repudiation of his son Licinus, now on trial for civic disturbance and certain to be sentenced to slavery.
> 
> “I’ll show you how a proper Roman matron bears the disgrace of her husband’s repudiation of her son,” Terentia Paulla is reported to have screamed at her ex-husband, along with the standard denunciation of his performance in bed.
> 
> Witnesses, who declined to be named, claimed the ex-couple also had a ding-dong row over the dowry and household goods. During the evening slaves removed boxes from the Menenius house.
> 
> D. Terentia Paullus declined to comment when approached. Her sister, Helena Terentia, editor of urbānĭtās, and living in Mediolanum, confirmed the split, and asked that her sister be referred to in the Terentian family style in future, as Paulla Terentia.

Good on Paulla Terentia! Val added her name to the list of those allowed into the court, and hurried after his master. The morning sky shone bright and clear. The court would already be prepared for the trial. But Gaius walked at a steady pace beside Marcus, because one thing was sure: the trial would not start without him. 

**Author's Note:**

> Valentine, Helena and Narses have agreed to use [these books on child slave rearing in 2770auc](https://imperial-dragon.dreamwidth.org/4737.html) as the basis for rearing all their children.
> 
> Mossgreen wrote Ven’s version of this morning [facilis descensus Averno](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19182541)  
> The banks in Belgica feature in Romanumeternal’s [Story of the Century](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18055052/chapters/42670061) \- a different (but adjacent) universe and another take on the modern Roman empire, the People’s Republic of Rome.  
> Helena Terentia appeared in Mossgreen’s [Playing Happy Families](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19796422/chapters/46868995)  
> Agr. Menenius Lanatus and Licinus appear in [An Afternoon of Work Chapter 4](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16218464/chapters/40033596)
> 
> Translations  
>  _Acta Diurna_ (Latin: Daily Acts or Daily Public Records) are daily Roman official notices, a sort of daily gazette. Originally exposed in a public place on a whitened board called an Album and left there for a reasonable time, they were taken down and preserved with other public documents, so that they might be available for purposes of research. Its contents were partly official (court news, decrees of the Roman emperor, Roman Senate and Roman magistrates), partly private (notices of births, marriages and deaths). Now published on the interret, Acta Diurna claims to be the longest running new service in thee world.  
>  _ientaculum_ light breakfast  
>  _imperium_ a military concept, the power of the imperator (general in the army) to command; a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity, the power vested by the state in a person to do what he considers to be in the best interests of the state  
>  _gliaria_ pl., a special kind of enclosure, a glirarium, to raise and fatten dormice for the table  
>  _Vigiles_ Police and emergency services  
>  _puls_ risotto or pottage, a traditional Roman dish  
>  _archimagirus_ chef  
>  _Ave! serve_ hello! slave, a magazine for slaves  
>  _SIPAS – Societās Imperātōrium Prohibēre Atrōcitae Servīs_ which translates back to English as the Imperial Society (or Alliance) to Prevent/Prohibit/Hinder Cruelty/Brutality to Slaves. (Latin has a far smaller vocabulary than English, therefore words that are synonyms in English are often translated to the same word in Latin.)  
>  _Belgica_ a province in the Serene Empire  
>  _Tiancho_ China  
>  _Norðerland_ Scandinavia  
>  _toga praetexta_ In modern Rome, the toga praetexta comes in two forms, one with a thin stripe as border, worn by senators and children, and one with a thick border stripe, worn by curule magistrates and some priests.  
>  _Saturnalia_ Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through to 23 December. See [here](https://imperial-dragon.dreamwidth.org/4413.htm) for futher information  
>  _bracae_ trousers  
>  _tablua_ electronic tablet  
>  _Flavian_ The Flavian Amphitheatre (Amphitheatrum Flavium), also known as the Colosseum  
>  _puellulae_ little girls  
>  _vale_ goodbye  
>  _vilicus maior_ _vilicus_ , the manager of a villa or country estate, and _maior_ , major or greater – the manager of a large estate comprising a number of large farms or latifundia, which include the villae rustica, the farm-house that was permanently occupied by the servants who had charge generally of the estate, which would centre on the villa itself  
>  _ruber cingulus_ red zone around Mt Vesuvius relating to the area vulnerable to pyroclastic surges, relatively depopulated by incorporating large areas of wilderness such as hunting estates and national parks, and farmed as latifundia. This would allow easy evacuation of the area if Mt Vesuvius should begin erupting  
>  _ImpSec_ Imperial Security, a complex of organisations directly contributing to the security of the Imperial family  
>  _Patruus_ paternal uncle, his father's brother  
>  _oeb_ omnia est bonum, everything is fine  
>  _tumultus in thermis_ tumult in the bath house  
>  _balnea_ bath, either in a private domus, or a smaller public bath owned by a citizen  
>  _musm_ matrimonium usus sine manus, “marriage by use without the hand” – the normal type of marriage in 2770acu  
>  _Mediolanum_ Milan


End file.
